The cops were after me once again. I had tripped the alarm entering the apartment. On purpose, a thief of my caliber would never trip a alarm without reason. My reason? More challenge. Thieving is like a game to me a game that I always win no matter what. Even if I’m caught I find a way to turn it to my side. I have only ever lost once… and that’s when a cop decided to let me go without a chase he said. “If you need the money from stealing then you’re in a tight spot” and he let me go… where’s the fun in that? Exactly, so I broke into the apartment because I re- dammit the cops were getting closer. These weren’t your average donut munchers they were the best of the best, so basically not good enough. I did a backflip off the balcony and as I’m falling I notice the pool was empty. There wasn’t water but I wasn’t worried a 30 meter drop wouldn’t kill me. Maybe you maybe a cop but not me. I am the best there ever was nothing will stop me, hell there could be a dragon at the bottom and I’d get away. I’m getting closer… 20 meters. Perfect. Time slows as I get closer I’m almost there now so I simply put out my hand and start spinning. My entire arm is prosthetic so as I fall it gets hotter similar to a meteor but it’s programmed to heat up with kinetic energy and I’m getting a hell of a lot here. I hit the ground and slow down my arm buckles but doesn’t break I’m completely paralyzed from the shock but I soon get up. There is a hole where my hand hit and I look up. The cops are stunned so I just walk away. I win. But… I feel like I don’t, the happiness from the chase wasn’t just gone it was never there in the first place for this run… it’s been like this for a while I can’t seem to get the same joy instead I just get a pang of conscious and feel bad for the people I stole from. But it’s fine I’m just sick, right?

As I enter my bio dome I notice that almost all the houses are gone… almost everyone was out doing something else, not that it mattered. I pulled out my keys and pushed the button and seemingly out of nowhere my house appeared in the middle of the road. I entered it and it rushed to its place between the other currently in place buildings within seconds. I guess that’s why apartments are so easy to break into, they can’t make each floor vanish so they have to all remain open and use locks instead. Now that I think about it even locks are obsolete so few people make them that they are all terribly made and the good ones can be opened with a simple app on a phone that’s why all my marks are houses because if I can enter it someone is home. The last house I robbed had a grand view of a giant “forest” even though it was a hologram and a fantastic pool that always seemed to be empty this led me to believe these were the type of people who would flaunt their items like it was a contest so that’s why I went after them. But then why do I feel empty? It’s been like this ever since that cop… the words still haunt me “you must need the money” BUT I DON’T! I have so much money that I simply steal for the fun of it! Ugh I can’t think straight right now I’m going to bed.

A while later…

As I wake up I realize I hadn’t emptied my bag from my last job. I dump My backpack onto my bed and it seems endless but as everyone knows it just has its own universe inside. Some complain the bag doesn’t have enough space but those people must be literally insane because when a entire universe is on your back… not much won’t find its way in there. I start sorting through the stuff. a couple of antique phones… oh cool they have a iPhone 7! Man those things were absolutely garbage what would even fit on storage that small? Most iPhone games take up at least 30 terabytes and that’s the ones that aren’t even really games… so what else. Hmm two wedding rings I guess they were planning to get married just like me and… her. I was terrible to drive her away. What else is in the bag? I should have listened. Looks like I got the deeds to the property! Who am I kidding I don’t want land I want her back. I guess the rest of what’s in the bag is more or less garbage. Just like me. NO snap out of it she didn’t agree with your lifestyle then and she won’t now she isn’t right for you! But was it worth it? Yes! Really? Yes. Really? Yes? Really? No. I miss her so much but she isn’t coming back. This is the life I’ve chosen for myself the life of a thief the life of a criminal the life of a loner. I was never good with my own emotions maybe another job will fix things? Let’s hope so. As I’m packing up for my next job I notice that a new house is in the street, my next target?

I leave the house and notice the ID on the new house. 284993028. Woah! That’s a old house! How come this is the only time I’ve seen this house it must have been here for ages! I imagine the amazing antiques that must be inside and suddenly I feel dull again. Maybe I just don’t think I can actually get the items. Yeah that’s it I will prove me wrong though! I enter the house not sure what to expect. Would a old house like this even have security? Who the hell knows. All I know is I just spotted something… something amazing. It’s so beautiful I can’t take my eyes off it. I can’t believe I just found a still in box Nintendo 64 those things were made in the 1990s how could one even still be preserved!?!?!it doesn’t matter though I carefully scan the container it’s in and immediately notice the glass has nearly microscopic bumps meaning if I put too much pressure on it whatever is inside the case will explode. Kind of a weird way of protecting something but that’s why the company that made these went out of business. I personally have never been faced with one of these so how would I disarm it? Got it. It’s simple, all I have to to is literally cut between the molecules with pressure sensitive plates on them easy enough. I pull out my phone and press the power button but… it doesn’t turn on. No way, this house has anti electronics beacons! Those were banned a while ago for killing those with pacemakers and any artificial limbs were supposed to deactivate but my hadn’t. Never mind, as I look down at my arm I realize it was dropped at the door to the house I guess I should be glad they installed that upgrade to my arm that detaches it if it would be disabled because my arm is flailing around and the parts that kept it connected were, let’s just say “going absolutely crazy” to put it lightly. I won’t give up here though I will get that N64! Then I notice something that makes this whole thing seem like a trap, a picture of a couple on wedding day. Whoever did this must know everything about me! My love for antiques, my failed love life, even my precision investigating skills have been documented by this person. No I’m just overreacting it’s just a house with some extra security. It must be. Who would go after me? I haven’t made a name for myself I always have a mask on so they couldn’t know I did anything! So I really am just overreacting I guess. Except… the couple in the painting they look familiar they look like. Us. That’s me and her on our wedding day except we never had a wedding day. What’s going on! I drop to my knees and cry out her name. Then I stop, and smile this was a trap and now whoever set it knows I’m here. No not “whoever” I know who it was, it was her. Only her brilliance could plan this. But How long had this been planned? Maybe the house was waiting for my emotions for her to stir up again. Whatever the case she managed to pull me back from the path I was going. I no longer felt the need to steal instead I just felt a pure unbridled love.”thank you.” I whisper softly. “You’re welcome.” I hear whispered back. And I roll over to see her laying next to me in the bed. Wait… the bed!? I bolt up and look around me. I’m back in my- our house and I looked down to see her sleeping soundly. I hadn’t lost my angel but then what was everything that just happened? A dream? No a nightmare. Lately I had been getting into stealing for the fun of it and I guess that’s where it leads and that’s not somewhere I want to go. Because a life without her is no life at all for me. So I lay back down smiling. Tomorrow is our wedding.